What thriving really means in today's world
What does it mean to thrive? It is defined as: ‘to grow vigorously’, ‘to flourish’ and ‘to become, and continue to be, successful, strong and healthy’. When I think about a goal to aim for, it always comes back to health, happiness and thriving rather than just surviving. It’s about living rather than just existing. Being fully present and making the most out of life, to live as if you might not see another day. Life is too short for us to live without adventure, without purpose, without a dream or a goal to aim for, without curiosity for what we might find on our journey out into the wilderness. The importance of being authentic and true to yourself, your dreams, your values, is part of thriving. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who was happy living someone else’s life or pretending to be something they’re not.
Thriving is more than self-care although taking care of yourself is an important part of thriving. It also means taking care of your body – eating healthy foods, being active and being present and grateful for the little things, even if it’s something as simple as the changing colors of the leaves. It means noticing and engaging with those you love and doing things that truly bring you joy and help you to be your best self.
Some of the articles I’ve been able to find about ‘how to thrive’ offer some great advice on the things we can do to thrive more, to be happier and healthier, and to help us be strong in the most difficult moments that we face. These are some of my favorites:
-See things as an opportunity rather than a failure [1, 2]. At a conference this past week I was inspired by these words: “In life, you never lose. You either win or you learn”.
-Focus on seeing your basic goodness [1]. In life, we do the best we can and our intentions may be good but we may not always do or say what we want to. We are still good people.
-Let go of what is harming you and challenge your thoughts [1, 3]. This is not easy. Sometimes it is certain thoughts that are holding us back from our dreams, fear of failure, hard feelings towards someone, or towards ourselves. There is power in letting go, in forgiving, in changing the way we speak to ourselves and the power that we allow others to have on us when we hold on to the things they've done to us. It can be freeing to let go of the harm it is causing us.
-Practicing kindness and gratitude makes you happier and it can help you thrive [2, 3]. It changes the way you look at life and there is evidence that shows that when we are kind to others we are happier.
-Laughter is an important component as well [2]. We all need a little laugher sometimes, especially when life really challenges us.
What helps you to thrive and make the most out of life?
[1] https://zenhabits.net/thrive/
[2] https://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-lessons-to-learn-if-you-want-to-thrive-in-life/
[3] https://patch.com/new-york/portjefferson/bp--20-ways-to-thrive-in-life-and-not-just-survive
